Crackenedge, Dewsbury

Saturday 2nd June 2018

Leader: Andrew Kafel

Today was a return trip to this site we visited in September 2017, attracting back many of the same BBG members, eager to brush up on their grass identification skills and investigate the botany at this time of year. The site consists of neutral and acidic grassland interspersed with woodland and scrub and is much influenced by garden escapes and planted introduced species.

As we meandered over the site, Andrew stopped at intervals to show the group some of the common species of grass, explaining the diagnostic characteristics. These included Early Hair-grass (Aira Praecox), Meadow Foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis), Tall Fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus), Red Fescue (Festuca rubra) and Squirreltail Fescue (Vulpia bromoides). This was excellent revision for some people, and some new species learnt for others. Andrew had produced a useful handout summarising features of 16 common grasses at this site which was handed out at lunchtime when the light rain had stopped (the weather brightened up in the afternoon, becoming quite warm).

Several species of Rose were found in flower including Sweet-briar (Rosa rubiginosa), Dog-rose (Rosa canina) and Japanese Rose (Rosa rugosa). It was also interesting to see White-stemmed Bramble (Rubus cockburnianus) in flower.

A small pond near our lunch spot had unfortunately been invaded by New Zealand Pigmyweed (Crassula helmsii) although there was still room for the tadpoles. Oval Sedge (Carex leporina) was found near by.

We found numerous introduced trees and shrubs including Red Oak (Quercus rubra), Turkey Oak (Quercus cerris), Juneberry (Amelanchier lamarckii), a cultivar of Elder (Sambucus nigra ‘Aurea’) with yellow-green leaves and a variety of Broom (Cytisus scoparius var. andreanus) with red blotches on the yellow petals. It was particularly interesting to find Rum Cherry (Prunus serotina) which differs to Bird Cherry (Prunus padus) in having flowers in shorter racemes, with closer packed flowers.

Up on the ridge, where we were treated to good views over Dewsbury, an interesting find was a Plantain (Plantago sp.) with unusual all-female flower heads. They had many long stigmas and no stamens. The exact species is yet to be confirmed.

In the woodland we found a Dock which was taller than us (perhaps nearly 2m tall, so demonstrating hybrid vigour) and concluded it was the hybrid Rumex x pratensis. This is the hybrid between Curled Dock (Rumex crispus) and Broad-leaved Dock (Rumex obtusifolius). This plant showed characteristics of both parents with the undulate leaves of Curled Dock and the toothed tepals of Broad-leaved Dock. It wasn’t yet in flower but flower heads from last year were found which clearly showed the tooted tepals.

Many thanks to Andrew for guiding us around this interesting site.

Text by Susan

Photographs by Susan and Tom